Quest: Artificer
This is a permanent quest, allowing you to join the Artificer's Association Part 1 - Artificer: Still Animals Location: Synara City The morning sun peeks through the window blinds, shining onto your face and stirring you awake. You rise and dress yourself, then head outside. You'd slept fitfully after your travels to Synara City, and wanted to spend as much time as you could exploring its majesty before you must return to the Keep. It's early, but there are already a few shops open. Pacing leisurely down the cobbled streets, you brush past several shops until one catches your eye. Most other shops at this hour are still and quiet, but this one is filled with movement. Curious, you peer through the window and see that the shop is filled with animals. Not living ones though, as you were expecting. Rather, they're all animated toys. Fascinated with how many there are and the amount of craftsmanship displayed in every one, you enter the store. Having not seen anyone inside from your vantage point at the window, you nearly jump out of your skin when you enter the shop, only to be yelled at by an old man who's popped up from behind the counter. "Close the door! Close the door!" It takes a moment for you to register what he's saying, but once you realize you do as he's commanding. You're too late, however, as something ends up snaking its way out of the door just as you're pushing it shut. "Blast!" The man behind the counter scowls. "I'll never be able to catch it! You can't be blamed, though. Oh, right, hello, I'm Birchoff. See anything that interests you?" He waves a hand around his shop, indicating his wares, and you see that his hand is covered in what appears to be soot and grease. A closer look at the man shows that he's overall in a state of disarray, clothes similarly dirties, sparse grey hair sticking out between the straps that keep a large glass-and-metal contraption on his head. He notices you staring and, embarrassed, cleans himself up slightly with a minor spell. "Ah, excuse my appearance, I was just in the middle of some work." Feeling a bit guilty for being caught staring and making him feel ashamed, you shake your head. "No worries, I was merely curious about what it is you do." At this, the man's expression brightens. "Oh, me? I'm a part of the Artificer's Association! We make lots of interesting... things. Interested in joining?" Birchoff glances you smugly as you hesitate. "Of course I'll have to contact someone from the Association first. In the meanwhile, as you consider, could you help me to find my escaped creation? It looks like a Raza Cobra, but it's made of wood." How are you going to find Birchoff's escaped creation in a city as vast as Synara? An idea comes to mind. You'll need a companion with a strong sense of smell, able to track the scent of wood and oil through the ever-busier streets. Something like a direwolf or a direcore would do the trick. Part 2 - Artificer: Still Animals Location: Synara City You bring your dire companion to Birchoff's shop, where it sniffs around, catching the scent of its quarry. With a howl, it then begins to run, following the path left by the cobra. You have to hustle to keep up, and are quite winded when you're finally able to stop. The cobra's been cornered in an alleyway, and though it tries to slither away, a flick of your wrist summons the carving to you. Part 3 - Artificer: Energizing the Invention Location: Synara City You walk back to the shop, where you see Birchoff talking to a younger woman. Birchoff positively beams as you walk in, cobra in hand. "Oh, thank you! Here, let me..." He takes the cobra from you and rubs the wooden snake on the nose, which seems to deactivate whatever magic is animating it. Bringing it behind the counter, he introduces you to the woman. "This is Kara, my granddaughter. She's come from the Association, and remembers better what's needed to join. Don't you, sweetie?" Kara sighs, absent-mindedly tugging at her long black hair. "Yes, granddad." She turns to you. "So, you want to join, do you? You'll have to prove that you really want to join. Bring me the egg of a thunderbird; I need one to power one of my inventions." As you protest, pointing out that you already helped out her grandfather, she smiles at you sweetly. "That was just you helping out a kindly old man, wasn't it?" Birchoff, apparently oblivious and too engrossed in fixing his newly-retrieved construct, simply smiles at waves at you as you look over towards him in exasperation. Part 4 - Artificer: Energizing the Invention Location: Synara City Without egg: Kara raises an eyebrow as you enter the shop empty-handed. "If you want to join, you'll first need to bring me the egg of a thunderbird." With egg: Kara smiles as she spots the crackling egg held gently in your hands. "Ah, just what I needed! Thank you! Now, all you need to do is to pay the membership fee." She puts on an expression of mock surprise, to match your expression of actual surprise. "Don't be so shocked! It helps the association to obtain necessary supplies. It's only eight thousand gold." Part 5 - Artificer: Associating Without gold: Kara taps her finger against the counter impatiently. "If you want to join, you need to pay the membership fee. Eight thousand gold." With gold: As you place the bag of coins on the counter, Kara smiles at you. "Very well!" She says as she reaches into an inner pocket of her vest, pulling out a small brass button, which she pins to the front of your robe. "You are now an official member of the Artificer's Association!" Additional Information *This quest starts in Synara City *Requires: **one adult Direwolf or Direcore (you won't lose it) ** Thunderbird egg (you will lose it) *Required eggs must be live (not frozen) and unnamed *Rewards: ** Membership of the Artificer's Association ** Access to the Artificer Shop Category:Quest Text